In this episode of The Fuqua Show, listeners are treated to the inspiring journey of Kandasi Griffiths, a remarkable individual who has navigated life across 17 countries and various cultures. With a background that spans international development, social entrepreneurship, and an MBA from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, Kandasi embodies the spirit of change and empowerment. As the founder of SR Collaborative, she passionately supports women of color changemakers, helping them thrive in their ventures through coaching and consulting. 

Her experiences, from jewelry making in Italy to health initiatives in Afghanistan, Jordan, and Togo, reflect a deep commitment to social good and community impact. Kandasi's story is not just about her impressive accomplishments but also about her belief in the potential of others, likening herself to a pilot light that ignites the passions of those around her. Join host Thomas Chang as he delves into Kandasi's rich narrative, exploring the lessons learned and the profound insights gained from her diverse experiences. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or simply seeking inspiration, this episode is sure to resonate and motivate.

- **Embrace Diversity of Experience**: Kandasi's journey through 17 different places emphasizes the value of diverse experiences. Each location taught her unique lessons that shaped her understanding of the world and its complexities.

- **Pursue Passion with Purpose**: Transitioning from a politics major to international development and eventually founding a social enterprise illustrates the importance of following one's passions while maintaining a clear purpose.

- **Seek Comfort in Discomfort**: Kandasi's willingness to step out of her comfort zone, whether it was teaching in France or working in Afghanistan, highlights the growth that comes from facing challenges head-on.

- **Community Matters**: The significance of community and familial support is evident in Kandasi’s life. Her strong ties to her family and their matriarchal influence showcase how community shapes identity and values.

- **Empower Others**: Kandasi's commitment to uplifting women of color through her social enterprise underscores the power of empowerment. She believes in enabling others to thrive, which creates a ripple effect of positive change.

- **Learn from Failure**: Her admission of needing to be more comfortable with failure is a crucial lesson. Embracing mistakes as learning opportunities is essential for personal and professional growth.

- **Cultural Sensitivity in Development**: Kandasi's experiences in various countries taught her that effective international development requires understanding and integrating local cultures and practices, rather than imposing external solutions.

- **The Importance of Listening**: Throughout her career, Kandasi emphasized the need to listen to community voices. This approach ensures that solutions are relevant and sustainable.

- **Home is a Feeling**: Kandasi's evolving definition of home—from a physical place to a feeling of belonging—reminds us that true comfort comes from within and from the connections we cultivate.

- **Be a Catalyst for Change**: Kandasi views herself as a "pilot light," igniting potential in others. This metaphor serves as a reminder that we all have the ability to inspire and uplift those around us.

- **Global Exposure**: Kandasi's journey begins with her upbringing in a large, close-knit family in Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, which instilled in her the values of community and support. This foundation nurtured her curiosity about the world, leading her to live in 17 different places and travel to 34 countries.

- **Education at Princeton**: Despite initial reluctance due to stereotypes about elitism, Kandasi visited Princeton University and fell in love with the campus and its people. She became actively involved in Model UN, showcasing her passion for international relations and leadership.

- **Commitment to Change**: After graduating, Kandasi transitioned into international development, where she worked on economic empowerment, education, and global health initiatives across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. This experience solidified her belief in the importance of creating opportunities for marginalized communities.

- **Founding SR Collaborative**: Recognizing a gap in support for women of color changemakers, Kandasi founded SR Collaborative, a social enterprise aimed at fostering cross-sector partnerships. This venture reflects her commitment to uplifting others and creating impactful change.

- **Pursuing an MBA**: Kandasi's desire to enhance her skills led her to pursue an MBA at Fuqua, where she continued to balance her studies with her social enterprise. This decision underscores her belief in lifelong learning and the importance of equipping oneself to make a difference.

- **Impact Investing Role**: As she nears graduation, Kandasi prepares to take on the role of associate director of impact investing at social finance, aligning her career with her values of economic empowerment and social impact.

- **Family Values**: Throughout her journey, Kandasi emphasizes the significance of family, particularly the influence of her matriarchal grandmother, who inspired her to create and contribute to her community.

- **Passion for Connection**: Kandasi's love for letter writing and her active engagement in family gatherings highlight her belief in the power of connection and communication, which has been a constant in her life.

- **Embracing Unexpected Interests**: Her unexpected passion for the Fast and Furious franchise reveals her multifaceted personality and the importance of embracing diverse interests, which adds depth to her identity.

- **Future Aspirations**: Kandasi's journey reflects a blend of personal growth, community impact, and a commitment to empowering others, showcasing her belief that individual experiences can lead to collective change in the world.

- **Introduction to Model UN**: The speaker discovers Model UN, a platform that simulates the United Nations, allowing participants to represent countries and engage in global issues, igniting a passion for international relations and empathy.

- **First Experience**: Representing Austria in Model UN, the speaker learns about the intricacies of Austrian politics, fostering a deep understanding of global perspectives and the importance of viewing issues through the lens of different cultures.

- **Diverse Representation**: The speaker participates in Model UN by representing various countries like Sweden, Tanzania, and New Zealand, further expanding their knowledge and appreciation for global diversity.

- **Transition to College**: At Princeton, the speaker majors in politics with a focus on international relations and minors in French, solidifying their commitment to understanding different cultures and languages.

- **Choosing a Unique Path**: After graduation, while peers pursue traditional careers in consulting and banking, the speaker opts for an adventurous route, seeking immersive experiences abroad rather than a conventional career path.

- **Teaching in France**: The speaker joins the TAPIF program as an English teaching assistant in Paris, embracing the challenge of living in a foreign country and pushing themselves out of their comfort zone.

- **Cultural Immersion**: In Paris, the speaker actively engages with the community, attends cooking classes, meets locals, and explores the city on foot, deepening their connection to French culture.

- **Working in Oxford**: The speaker then works with the Center for Effective Altruism in Oxford, applying skills from Model UN to organize a global conference aimed at improving philanthropic efforts and international development.

- **Jewelry Making in Florence**: Following a hiatus, the speaker moves to Florence to study artisanal jewelry making, embracing a new creative challenge despite the language barrier, showcasing adaptability and passion for the arts.

- **Serendipitous Learning**: The journey into jewelry making begins unexpectedly at a farmer's market, leading the speaker to pursue a dream of mastering a craft they loved since high school, reflecting their belief in seizing opportunities and continuous learning.

- **Early Aspirations**: At a young age, the individual was driven by a clear goal to become a diplomat, fueled by a passion for international affairs and a desire to understand global dynamics outside formal pathways.

- **Embracing Opportunities**: Despite being a planner, they demonstrated spontaneity by seizing opportunities as they arose, such as enrolling in Italian classes and exploring various countries while preparing for a future in diplomacy.

- **Global Experience**: The journey included teaching in France, working at the Center for Effective Altruism in the UK, and making jewelry in Italy, all of which enriched their understanding of different cultures and languages.

- **Navigating Challenges**: Realizing the competitive nature of international development, they strategically pieced together experiences from various roles, including an internship on Capitol Hill and working with a USAID contractor, to build a strong foundation for their career.

- **Field Assignments**: Their role as a program operations associate allowed them to work on significant projects in countries like Afghanistan, Jordan, Tanzania, and others, often driven by the need for language skills and regional expertise.

- **Facing Adversity**: The decision to travel to Kabul in January 2017 came with challenges, including political tensions and safety concerns, yet they embraced the experience, navigating the complexities of working in a high-risk environment.

- **Cultural Immersion**: Living and working in Afghanistan provided a firsthand perspective on the realities of life in conflict zones, deepening their empathy and understanding of the local culture, including forming strong relationships with colleagues.

- **Personal Growth**: The experience in Afghanistan also prompted personal growth, confronting fears and uncertainties, while finding solace in simple pleasures like learning Dari and enjoying local cuisine.

- **Resilience Through Adversity**: Despite the challenges faced, including the psychological toll of living in a conflict zone, they emerged with a greater appreciation for the resilience of individuals in difficult circumstances.

- **Commitment to Impact**: Ultimately, their journey reflects a commitment to making a meaningful impact in international development, shaped by a belief in the importance of understanding diverse perspectives and experiences.

- **Cultural Immersion**: The journey began with engaging with local cooks who spoke Dari, allowing for a deep dive into the local culture through food and community connections, fostering a sense of belonging in a foreign environment.

- **Awareness of Privilege**: As a queer Black woman from an Ivy League background, the realization of her privilege on a global scale emerged, prompting a reflection on how to leverage that privilege responsibly in her interactions.

- **Commitment to Empowerment**: Early on, she recognized her role was to uplift local voices in discussions with high-level officials, ensuring that the true experts—local health professionals—were heard and valued.

- **Rapid Maturation**: At just 24, she faced challenges that forced her to grow up quickly, managing teams and projects, which illuminated both the failures and opportunities within the development sector.

- **Hands-On Experience in Jordan**: In Jordan, she took on a multifaceted role, establishing office procedures and building a team from scratch, while simultaneously immersing herself in the local culture and natural beauty, balancing work with exploration.

- **Appreciation of Nature**: Experiences like sand surfing in Wadi Rum and visiting the Dead Sea allowed her to appreciate the beauty of the region, highlighting the importance of finding joy amidst the challenges of international development.

- **Shift to Community Health in Togo**: In Togo, she transitioned her focus from high-level health policy to grassroots community health, recognizing the need for primary care and preventative measures.

- **Empowerment of Local Women**: Collaborating with an organization that trained local women as community health workers, she witnessed firsthand the power of community ownership and the vital role of local knowledge in health initiatives.

- **Pre-COVID Preparedness**: The groundwork laid in Togo through community health models proved invaluable as these women were already equipped to respond to health crises, including COVID-19, showcasing the success of empowering local resources.

- **Integration of Values**: Throughout her experiences, a consistent theme of humility, empowerment, and community leadership emerged, shaping her approach to international development and reinforcing the belief that local voices are crucial in solving societal issues.

- **Identifying Gaps**: The women at the table recognized a lack of support from men regarding family planning, which spurred them to create a community of male allies to advocate for sexual health and family planning.

- **Integrating Traditional Medicine**: Understanding the influence of traditional healers in community care, they worked to incorporate traditional medicine alongside healthcare clinics, gaining the support of village leaders.

- **Addressing Transportation Needs**: They identified a critical gap in transportation and developed a tricycle ambulance to facilitate access to healthcare clinics, highlighting the importance of practical solutions in community health.

- **Sustainability Focus**: The discussion shifted towards the role of international development agencies, emphasizing the need for sustainable, long-term community support rather than capital-intensive, short-term projects.

- **Founding SR Collaborative**: Inspired by family values and the importance of women in her lineage, the founder established SR Collaborative to empower women of color change agents through coaching and consulting.

- **Redefining Entrepreneurship**: SR Collaborative aims to shift the narrative of entrepreneurship from a profit-driven model to one that supports community-focused social enterprises, emphasizing sustainability over rapid growth.

- **First Client Experience**: The founder's journey began from a place of fear, leading her to seek a barista job. Instead, she was offered the opportunity to develop a strategy for her first client, an Indonesian coffee shop focused on social impact.

- **Growth and Impact**: Since its inception, SR Collaborative has served several dozen clients, with over 150 individuals benefiting from leadership development programs, showcasing the growing demand for such services.

- **Balancing Act**: While managing a full-time role in international development and pursuing education, the founder focused on long-term goals, making strategic trade-offs to better serve her clients in the future.

- **Personal Connections**: Amidst her busy schedule, she nurtured deep friendships and met her wife through a mutual friend at a community event, illustrating the importance of meaningful relationships in her life.

- **Early Adult Friendships**: In the early years after college, the speaker recognized the challenge of forming adult friendships and took proactive steps to build connections, like accepting an invitation to rock climbing from a potential friend.

- **Birth of a Social Enterprise**: After several years of diverse experiences across the globe, the speaker founded a social enterprise, highlighting a desire to contribute positively to society while navigating the challenges of being a solo entrepreneur.

- **Challenges of Solitude**: The speaker reflected on the loneliness of entrepreneurship, realizing that self-belief is crucial in gaining the trust and partnership of others in business ventures.

- **Pursuing an MBA**: Initially skeptical about the relevance of an MBA to their focus on social impact, the speaker decided to pursue this degree to gain insights into the private sector and financing mechanisms that could enhance social good.

- **Understanding Funding Structures**: Through their work in nonprofits, the speaker recognized the limitations of grant-based funding and the need to align projects with community needs rather than donor preferences.

- **Growth through Education**: During their MBA journey, the speaker learned that both the private and nonprofit sectors are filled with individuals who are simply navigating their own challenges, fostering a sense of shared human experience.

- **Embracing Risk**: The speaker experienced significant personal growth by learning to embrace failure and uncertainty, moving away from their risk-averse nature to become more comfortable with trial and error.

- **Value of Communication**: The speaker emphasized the importance of articulating thoughts and ideas, understanding that effective communication is essential for making an impact and fostering change.

- **Redefining Home**: Over time, the speaker shifted their understanding of "home" from a physical place to a sense of belonging and comfort in being oneself, grounded by relationships with loved ones.

- **Inspiring Others**: Ultimately, the speaker aims to empower those around them to recognize and harness their potential, likening themselves to a pilot light that ignites the capabilities of others.

- **Inspiration from Others**: The belief that individuals can light the way for others stems from personal experiences of being uplifted by mentors and supporters who listened and respected their unique journeys.

- **Community Impact**: The notion that one can create a beautiful meal symbolizes the importance of nurturing and providing for families and communities, highlighting a commitment to collective well-being.

- **Personal Growth**: The idea of reaching heights previously thought impossible reflects a journey of self-discovery and growth, often spurred by encouragement and belief from others.

- **Valuing Stories**: Acknowledging and respecting individual histories is crucial, as it empowers people to embrace their identities and motivates them to pursue their goals.

- **Supportive Environment**: The environment at Fuqua fosters connections that encourage students to share their stories, thereby creating a culture of mutual respect and inspiration.

- **Celebrating Diversity**: The emphasis on listening to varied backgrounds promotes a rich tapestry of experiences that enhance personal and professional development.

- **Future Aspirations**: The excitement about what lies ahead after graduation indicates a belief in continuous growth and the pursuit of dreams beyond the academic setting.

- **Gratitude for Mentorship**: Expressing thanks to those who have supported the journey underscores the importance of gratitude in personal and professional relationships.

- **Legacy of Light**: The metaphor of being a light suggests a commitment to uplifting others, indicating a desire to leave a positive impact on the world.

- **Collective Journey**: The shared experiences and aspirations among peers at Fuqua highlight the belief that success is not just individual but a collective journey, where everyone plays a role in each other's achievements.

In this episode of The Fuqua Show, Thomas Chang welcomes the remarkable Kandasi Griffiths, a second-year MBA student at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business. Kandasi's journey is nothing short of inspiring; having lived in 17 different countries and worked in international development across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, she has dedicated her life to empowering communities and supporting women of color changemakers. As the founder of SR Collaborative, a social enterprise aimed at fostering the success of women entrepreneurs, Kandasi combines her passion for social impact with her extensive experience in global health and economic empowerment. 

Listeners can expect to learn about Kandasi's unique life experiences, from jewelry making in Italy to leading health initiatives in Afghanistan, and how these diverse chapters have shaped her vision for sustainable development. Her insights into the challenges and triumphs of working in international development offer valuable lessons on humility, community ownership, and the importance of listening to those you aim to serve. Tune in for an engaging conversation that highlights the power of resilience, the significance of personal connections, and the potential for positive change in the world.

- Kandasi Griffiths has lived in 17 different places around the world, including countries such as Italy, Afghanistan, and Jordan, and has traveled to a total of 34 countries.
- She has a passion for letter writing, jewelry making, African and Latin dancing, and playing squash.
- Kandasi is a huge fan of the Fast and Furious franchise and dreams of being a stunt car coordinator or driver for the series.
- She comes from a large family, with a matriarchal structure led by her grandmother, who has significantly influenced her values and community involvement.
- Family gatherings are a regular occurrence for Kandasi, with brunches often involving around 30 family members, reflecting a strong sense of community and support.
- Despite initially being turned off by Princeton's reputation, she fell in love with the campus during a college tour and decided to attend, eventually not even visiting her original choice, UPenn.
- In college, she was very active in Model UN, leading Princeton's International Relations Council and helping run conferences, which took her to Dubai multiple times.
- Kandasi identifies as a "total nerd," particularly enjoying the beautiful libraries at Princeton.
- She balances her social enterprise work with her MBA studies, demonstrating her commitment to social impact while pursuing her education.
- Kandasi's graduation ceremony is expected to involve around 12 family members, a scaled-down version compared to her college graduation, where she had about 40 attendees.

- The guest has a deep appreciation for learning languages and cultures, which was a significant motivator for their travels and experiences abroad.
- They represented various countries in Model UN, including Austria, Sweden, Tanzania, and New Zealand, highlighting their diverse interests in global issues.
- The guest's experience in Model UN helped them develop empathy and a broader worldview, encouraging them to step out of their comfort zone.
- They spent time as an English teaching assistant in a public high school in Paris, which was part of their immersion experience in French culture.
- The guest enjoys exploring cities on foot, which contrasts with their upbringing in a car-centric environment in Atlanta.
- They formed a meaningful connection with a French couple, Barbara and Pierre, who became their "adopted grandparents" during their time in Paris.
- After Paris, the guest worked with the Center for Effective Altruism in Oxford, UK, where they helped organize a global conference involving philanthropists and policymakers.
- They took a three-month hiatus to study artisanal jewelry making in Florence, Italy, at a historic school that has been around for over 200 years.
- Despite not speaking Italian at the time, they embraced the challenge of learning the language while studying jewelry techniques.
- The guest's passion for jewelry making began in high school, where they enjoyed creating earrings and other pieces for friends and family.

- The guest considers themselves a planner rather than spontaneous, preferring to map out opportunities before acting on them.
- They are passionate about languages and have made it a point to work in francophone countries as part of their career.
- The guest has a strong desire to understand international affairs and development from a grassroots perspective rather than through formal pathways.
- They believe that being young allows them to explore their passions without the pressure of having everything figured out.
- The guest has traveled to various countries, including Afghanistan, Jordan, Tanzania, Guinea, Benin, and Togo, as part of their work in international development.
- They have a fondness for Afghani bread and try to seek it out whenever possible.
- The guest has a unique perspective on safety, expressing that the sounds of fireworks remind them of the attacks they experienced while working in Afghanistan.
- They found solace in books, movies, and online Zumba classes during challenging times abroad.
- The guest has developed strong relationships with colleagues in the countries they have worked in, emphasizing the importance of personal connections.
- They learned some Dari while in Afghanistan, highlighting their commitment to understanding and integrating into the local culture.

- The guest learned to communicate in Dari while working in an environment where the cooks only spoke that language, which also allowed them to explore diverse foods.
- They developed a strong sense of responsibility to uplift and empower local voices, especially when working with health professionals in various countries.
- At a young age of 24, the guest had to navigate complex international development situations, leading teams and managing projects, which accelerated their maturity.
- They experienced a significant workload in Jordan, often working 12 to 16 hour days, but made time to explore the natural beauty of the country, including the Dead Sea and Wadi Rum.
- The guest described Wadi Rum as having bright red sand and expansive landscapes, and they enjoyed sand surfing, despite mostly falling during the activity.
- They emphasized the importance of actively seeking out the beauty of a place, rather than solely focusing on the challenges faced in international development.
- In Togo, they worked with community health workers, primarily women, who were trusted figures in their villages, helping to address health disparities.
- The guest's work in Togo involved creating a replicable community health model, recognizing the potential of local resources before the COVID-19 pandemic.
- They previously worked at a medical technology startup focused on anesthesia equipment that could function without constant electricity, demonstrating their innovative approach to healthcare challenges.
- The guest highlighted the significance of humility and understanding one's role in the context of community-led initiatives, allowing local leaders to take charge of their own health needs.

- The guest's name is Kandasi, which is significant as it belonged to one of the first female monarchs in Sudan, highlighting the importance of names in her culture.
- The guest comes from a matriarchal background, emphasizing the influential role women have played in her family.
- The name of her social enterprise, SR Collaborative, incorporates her grandmother's maiden names, reflecting her family heritage and values.
- Kandasi focuses on redefining entrepreneurship, especially in the context of social enterprises, which she believes are crucial for community support.
- She started SR Collaborative initially as a consulting venture, motivated by fear of not succeeding in her business aspirations.
- Her first client was an Indonesian coffee shop owner who needed help with marketing and integrating social impact into her business model.
- Despite the challenges, she managed to run her social enterprise while also working full-time in international development and attending school.
- Kandasi values deep connections with friends and prefers long phone calls and writing letters to maintain those relationships.
- She met her wife, Tiffany, at a Spike Lee-hosted block party in Brooklyn, facilitated by a mutual friend, which led to a lasting friendship before their romantic relationship developed.
- Kandasi appreciates humor and finds that her wife's ability to laugh at her puns was a significant factor in their initial connection.

- The guest values deep, meaningful friendships and actively seeks to cultivate them, as demonstrated by her early efforts to connect with a new friend through rock climbing.
- She has a strong appreciation for the support network provided by her MBA program at Fuqua, highlighting the importance of community in her entrepreneurial journey.
- The guest emphasizes the loneliness of being a solo entrepreneur, recognizing that belief in oneself is essential for success in business.
- She has lived and worked in various countries, including Afghanistan, Jordan, Tanzania, Benin, Guinea, and Togo, which has shaped her perspective on social impact and development.
- Initially skeptical about the relevance of an MBA to her focus on social good, she has come to realize the importance of understanding the private sector to effect change.
- The guest has shifted from being extremely risk-averse to becoming more comfortable with failure and uncertainty, reflecting personal growth during her time in business school.
- She believes that effective communication is crucial for making an impact and encourages others to express their thoughts rather than waiting for the perfect moment.
- The concept of "home" has evolved for her from a physical place to a sense of belonging and connection with people who provide emotional support and grounding.
- She aspires to empower others by helping them recognize their potential, likening herself to a "pilot light" that ignites the abilities of those around her.
- The guest values self-reflection and the importance of sharing personal experiences to inspire others who may be considering similar paths.

- Kandasi has a passion for uplifting others and believes in the importance of listening and respecting individual journeys.
- She values the ability to create a positive impact in her community through acts like preparing meals.
- Kandasi is enthusiastic about personal growth and reaching new heights she previously thought were unattainable.
- She is involved in a journey that is described as "wild," indicating a life filled with unique and possibly unexpected experiences.
- Kandasi expresses excitement about her future endeavors, both professionally and personally, after graduation.
- She has a strong belief in the power of community and collaboration to foster growth and success.
- Kandasi appreciates the significance of mentorship and support in helping individuals realize their potential.
- She recognizes the importance of being a light for others, suggesting a focus on positivity and encouragement.
- Kandasi's journey reflects a commitment to both personal development and community well-being.

- **Early Family Life**: Kandasi Griffiths was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, surrounded by a large, supportive family that emphasized matriarchy and community, led by her influential grandmother.

- **College Choice**: Initially resistant to the idea of attending Princeton due to its elitist reputation, a last-minute visit led to a change of heart as she fell in love with the campus and its down-to-earth community.

- **Model UN Passion**: At Princeton, Kandasi immersed herself in Model UN, eventually leading the International Relations Council and participating in various conferences, including organizing events that took her to Dubai.

- **International Experience**: Post-college, she transitioned into international development, gaining experience across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, focusing on economic empowerment, education, and global health.

- **Social Enterprise Founding**: Recognizing a gap in support for women of color changemakers, Kandasi founded SR Collaborative, a social enterprise aimed at fostering cross-sector partnerships to empower these women.

- **Pursuing Higher Education**: While running her social enterprise, she decided to pursue an MBA at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, balancing her studies with her entrepreneurial endeavors.

- **Diverse Living Experiences**: Throughout her journey, Kandasi lived in 17 different places worldwide, including Italy, Afghanistan, and New York City, enriching her understanding of global cultures and challenges.

- **Upcoming Role**: As she approaches graduation in 2024, Kandasi has secured a position as Associate Director of Impact Investing at Social Finance, where she aims to further her impact in the social sector.

- **Personal Interests**: Beyond her professional accomplishments, Kandasi enjoys hobbies like letter writing, jewelry making, African and Latin dancing, and playing squash, showcasing her multifaceted personality.

- **Fun Fact**: Kandasi has a surprising passion for the Fast and Furious franchise, dreaming of being a stunt car coordinator, which highlights her playful side amidst her serious commitments.

- **Introduction to Model UN**: The journey begins with the speaker's involvement in Model United Nations (Model UN), where they represented various countries, including Austria, and developed a deep understanding of global issues and empathy for different cultures.

- **Academic Background**: The speaker majored in politics with a focus on international relations at Princeton University, complemented by a French minor, which fueled their passion for languages and cultures.

- **Post-College Decision**: Instead of pursuing a traditional career path in consulting or banking, the speaker opted for an adventurous opportunity in France, driven by their Model UN experiences and a desire to immerse themselves in new cultures.

- **Teaching Assistant Program in France**: They joined the Teaching Assistant Program in France (TAPIF) as an English teaching assistant in a public high school in Paris, marking their first significant step into a global career.

- **Cultural Immersion**: Embracing the Parisian lifestyle, the speaker pushed themselves out of their comfort zone by engaging in local activities, forming friendships, and exploring the city on foot, which deepened their appreciation for different cultures.

- **Work in Oxford**: The next chapter took them to Oxford, UK, where they worked with the Center for Effective Altruism, organizing global conferences that brought together philanthropists and policymakers, leveraging their Model UN skills.

- **Pursuing Artistry in Florence**: After a three-month hiatus, the speaker relocated to Florence, Italy, to study artisanal jewelry making at a historic school, blending their love for creativity with a desire to learn new skills.

- **Language Challenge**: While studying jewelry making, they faced the challenge of learning Italian, which was necessary for understanding the classes, showcasing their determination and adaptability in unfamiliar environments.

- **Serendipitous Discovery**: The decision to attend the jewelry school was sparked by a chance encounter at a farmer's market in Oxford, where they were inspired by a jeweler’s work and quickly made plans to learn the craft, demonstrating their spontaneity and passion for creativity.

- **Continued Growth and Exploration**: Throughout these experiences, the speaker's journey reflects a commitment to personal growth, cultural exploration, and a desire to make a meaningful impact in the world, all stemming from their early engagement with Model UN.

- **Early Aspirations**: The speaker had a clear goal from a young age to become a diplomat and work in international affairs, inspired by experiences like Model UN in school.

- **Planning and Preparation**: They meticulously planned their journey, starting with taking Italian classes and reaching out to schools to arrange discounted rates, demonstrating their proactive approach to achieving their goals.

- **Diverse Experiences**: They ventured into teaching in France, working at the Center for Effective Altruism in the UK, and creating jewelry in Italy, all while honing language skills and exploring various cultures.

- **Entry into International Development**: Recognizing the challenges of entering the international development field, they pieced together experiences to build a resume that would align with their diplomatic aspirations.

- **Internship and Early Career**: They interned on Capitol Hill and worked with a USAID contractor, which opened doors to international assignments in countries like Afghanistan, Jordan, and Tanzania.

- **On-the-Ground Experience**: In Afghanistan, they led staff training for a health project and adapted a grants program amidst changing socio-economic conditions, highlighting their adaptability and commitment.

- **Navigating Challenges**: Traveling to Afghanistan during a politically charged time (January 2017) presented unique challenges, including personal safety and navigating a new environment as a young American contractor.

- **Cultural Insights**: The speaker gained invaluable insights into Afghan culture, forming strong relationships with colleagues and experiencing the realities of life in a war-torn country firsthand.

- **Emotional Impact**: They reflected on the emotional challenges of working in a high-stakes environment, including coping with sounds reminiscent of violence and finding solace in personal interests like books and Zumba.

- **Language and Connection**: Learning some Dari allowed them to connect more deeply with the local culture, emphasizing the importance of language in fostering relationships and understanding in international work.

- **Cultural Immersion:** Began learning Dari while working in an office where the cooks only spoke the language, leading to a deeper understanding of the local culture through food and connections with the expat community.

- **Awareness of Privilege:** As a queer Black woman from an Ivy League background, she became acutely aware of her privilege and the power dynamics at play in international development, prompting her to use her position to uplift local voices.

- **Facilitator Role:** Realized the importance of facilitating discussions and drawing attention to local experts, such as healthcare providers, rather than seeking the spotlight for herself in high-level meetings.

- **Rapid Maturity:** Gained maturity through experiences managing teams and projects in challenging environments, leading to insights about the failures and opportunities within the development sector.

- **Jordan Experience:** Took on a multifaceted role in Jordan, where she managed logistics, built partnerships, and expanded a small team, all while immersing herself in the beauty of the country and its landscapes.

- **Exploration of Nature:** Found joy and inspiration in exploring the natural beauty of Jordan, including visits to Wadi Rum and the Dead Sea, which helped balance the challenges of her work.

- **Focus Shift in Togo:** Transitioned to Togo to address root health issues, moving from high-level policy work to grassroots initiatives aimed at improving primary and preventative care.

- **Community Health Model:** Collaborated with Integrate Health to train and empower women in villages as community health workers, recognizing their potential to address local health disparities.

- **Pre-COVID Preparedness:** Established a robust network of community health workers before the COVID-19 pandemic, which allowed for effective awareness and prevention efforts during the crisis.

- **Emphasis on Empowerment:** Throughout her journey, she maintained a focus on community ownership and humility, ensuring that her role was to empower local leaders and facilitate sustainable solutions.

- **Recognition of Gaps**: The community realized that men were not as supportive of family planning, prompting the formation of a group of male allies to discuss the benefits of sexual health and family planning for families.

- **Integration of Traditional Medicine**: Acknowledging the role of traditional healers in community care, they integrated traditional medicine with healthcare clinics, encouraging village leaders to recommend both.

- **Addressing Transportation Needs**: The community identified a lack of transportation for medical emergencies and developed a tricycle ambulance to facilitate transfers to healthcare centers.

- **Focus on Sustainability**: The discussion shifted towards the role of international development agencies, emphasizing the need for sustainable, long-term solutions that empower communities rather than relying on external support.

- **Founding of SR Collaborative**: Inspired by her family's matriarchal legacy, the speaker founded SR Collaborative to support women of color change agents and their ventures, reflecting the importance of community and family in her mission.

- **Initial Steps into Entrepreneurship**: The idea for SR Collaborative began as a consulting venture, initially requiring the establishment of an LLC to formalize the business.

- **First Client Experience**: The speaker's first client, an Indonesian coffee shop owner, emerged from a place of fear as she sought a barista job but ended up being hired to develop the shop’s marketing strategy.

- **Growth of Client Base**: Since its inception, SR Collaborative has served several dozen clients, with leadership development programs reaching over 150 individuals.

- **Balancing Multiple Roles**: While managing a full-time job in international development and pursuing education, the speaker focused on scaling SR Collaborative and transitioning into an impact investor role to support social enterprises.

- **Personal Connections**: The speaker met her wife, Tiffany, at a block party in Brooklyn through a mutual friend, highlighting the importance of deep friendships and meaningful conversations in her life.

- **Early Adult Struggles**: After college, the speaker reflects on the challenges of forming adult friendships and the desire to connect with others in a new city.
  
- **First Friendship Formation**: A pivotal moment occurs when a potential friend invites the speaker to go rock climbing, marking the beginning of their friendship through shared experiences like brunches and festivals.

- **Entrepreneurial Journey**: The speaker embarks on a solo entrepreneurial path, establishing a social enterprise that has now been running for six years, facing challenges primarily due to the isolation of being a solo entrepreneur.

- **Support from Fuqua**: The speaker expresses gratitude for the support received from Fuqua staff and classmates, which has been instrumental in navigating the ups and downs of entrepreneurship.

- **Transition to MBA**: After years of working in various countries and sectors focused on social impact, the speaker decides to pursue an MBA to gain insights into the private sector and financing mechanisms for social good.

- **Understanding the Private Sector**: The speaker realizes that everyone, regardless of sector, is navigating their own challenges and that confidence in trying and failing is a common thread in the private sector.

- **Personal Growth**: Over the course of the MBA, the speaker acknowledges a significant shift in their mindset, becoming more comfortable with risk and failure, contrasting their initial risk-averse nature.

- **Redefining Home**: The speaker reflects on their evolving understanding of "home," realizing it is less about a physical place and more about the people and sense of self they carry with them.

- **Impact and Purpose**: The speaker articulates a desire to empower others, likening themselves to a pilot light that ignites the potential in others, emphasizing the importance of helping individuals recognize their own capabilities.

- **Future Aspirations**: Looking ahead, the speaker is motivated to create a meaningful impact in the world by fostering the belief in others that they can achieve their aspirations.

- **Recognition of Potential**: The conversation begins with the acknowledgment of individual potential and the importance of having someone who believes in you, setting the stage for personal growth.

- **Community Impact**: Emphasis is placed on the ability to contribute positively to one’s family and community, highlighting the ripple effect of personal success.

- **Listening and Respect**: The significance of being heard and respected is mentioned as a crucial factor in empowering individuals to reach their goals.

- **Personal Journey**: Kandasi's unique journey is introduced, suggesting a narrative filled with challenges and triumphs that have shaped her current outlook.

- **Support Systems**: The role of mentors and supportive figures in Kandasi's life is implied, illustrating how guidance can lead to significant personal and professional advancements.

- **Anticipation of Future Success**: There’s excitement expressed about Kandasi’s potential future accomplishments, indicating a belief in her ability to achieve great things post-graduation.

- **Collective Growth**: The dialogue underscores the idea that personal achievements can inspire others, reflecting the theme of lighting the way for others in the community.

- **Graduation Milestone**: The mention of graduation signifies a pivotal moment, marking the transition from education to the professional world and the opportunities that lie ahead.

- **Continued Journey**: The conversation concludes with an optimistic outlook on Kandasi's ongoing journey, suggesting that her story is far from over and will continue to evolve.

- **Gratitude and Connection**: The closing remarks express gratitude, reinforcing the importance of connections made during the journey and the lasting impact they have on individuals' lives.

--- Segment 1 ---
Kandasi Griffiths is one of the most interesting people I know. She has lived in 17 different places around the world, doing everything from jewelry making in Italy to health work in Afghanistan, Jordan, and Togo. She founded her own social enterprise to support women of color changemakers, which she has been running while doing her MBA. She is a wise, kind, and hilarious soul who genuinely cares about people and supporting them in whatever way possible. We hope you all enjoy Kandasi's endlessly fascinating story in this episode, Seeing the World and Making it Better. Welcome to the Fuqua Show, for the stories, the lessons, and the passions of the Team Fuqua community here at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business. I'm Thomas Chang, and we are all in for such a treat today. I'm here with Kandasi Griffiths. Welcome Kandasi. Thanks, Thomas. It's great to be here. Kandasi, I am so excited to dig into your life, your journey, your story. It looks like you've lived in, I counted, 17 places. The state of Georgia, New Jersey, China, Italy, France, the UK, Afghanistan, Jordan, Tanzania, Guinea, Benin, Togo, New York City, Washington, DC, New Orleans, Durham, and Boston. Did I miss anything? I think you captured them all and traveled to a total of probably 34, I think is my country count right now. All right. This interview may last three hours long, but I'll give an intro for folks who haven't met Kandasi yet. Kandasi Griffiths is a second year MBA student in class of 2024. And prior to Fuqua, she was an international development strategist and project implementer with experience across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Kandasi is passionate about increasing opportunities for economic empowerment, education, and global health. She is the founder and chief curator of SR Collaborative, a social enterprise executing the vision of women of color change makers through cross-sector partnerships. After graduation in just a few weeks, Kandasi will serve as associate director of impact investing at social finance. She loves letter writing, jewelry making, African and Latin dancing, and playing squash. Kandasi, you know the drill. We always start off with a fun fact. What's something that folks at Fuqua might not know about you? I would probably say that I'm a huge fan of the Fast and Furious franchise. I watch them every time that they come out. And I always wanted to be a stunt car coordinator slash driver for the series. That is very unexpected, but also awesome. What's your favorite movie? And is it too fast, too furious? It's actually not. It's the original first movie is my favorite. The DVD players. Exactly. Where they're stealing the DVD players from the trucks. Classic 2001. Yeah. Is it the cars? Is it the Vin Diesel? Is it the family? I mean, all of the above. I would say the cars are super cool. In a sense, magical realism of cars hanging from helicopters and jumping through buildings. I mean, it's pretty amazing. Can I hear you do your best family impression? It's for the family. That was awful. Well, that's recorded now. Speaking of family, I know that this is something that we've talked about, something that's really important to you and who you are today. Can you share with us a bit about the folks who you call family? Yeah. So I was born in D.C. and then grew up in Atlanta and come from a really big family. So I grew up with my mom and dad and then a younger brother, younger sister, but also over a dozen cousins. My mom's one of four, my dad's one of six, and a lot of us were in the same area. And so it was not uncommon for us to have family brunches with like 30 folks on any given weekend. And we really show up for each other, like for graduations, for birthdays, we'll have a group FaceTime call with 15 people on the call. And I also think it's really important because we have a matriarchy. My maternal grandmother, who I call Nana, really leads the ship. And I've always looked up to her in terms of the way that she has had such an influence on our family, on our community, and just what it means to create for yourself and those around you. So how many people are coming to graduation this year? I think we're going to tape it down a little bit. From college graduation, we were probably about 40 and they actually had to sneak into graduation because I only got seven tickets. But this year, I think it's going to be about maybe 12, including my new in-laws. Ah, okay. Well, that's a story for later in the interview, I'm sure. But speaking of college graduation, you did your undergrad at Princeton. How'd you end up there in the first place? So funnily enough, I never actually wanted to visit it. The reputation and stereotypes about Princeton being pretentious and too elitist really turned me off. So when my parents and I were doing some college touring in high school, we were going to go visit UPenn. And they were like, oh, really trying to convince me to go see Princeton because we were going to be just a 30-minute train ride away. So begrudgingly, I went with them on the way to Philadelphia. And the second I got on campus, I really fell in love with it. I think it was, you know, the ivy, the brick buildings, all the courtyards, and just talking to the people. They were really down to earth. I could see myself there. Being the total nerd that I am, the libraries were beautiful. And spent the whole day there and actually didn't even get to visit UPenn. Wow. And how about Hoagie Haven? I'm sorry, my arteries did not survive more than one Hoagie Haven. Well, I'm curious about what Candacy from undergrad was like versus Candacy today. How did you spend most of your time in college? I loved Model UN. I started it in high school, did it all the way through. I ended up running Princeton's International Relations Council, which is the club that runs the Model UN program. So we had a high school conference and a college conference. And then on top of all of that, I joined a nonprofit called iMUNA, the International Model UN Association, that ran conferences across the U.S. I ran their Southern U.S. Model UN Conference my senior year while writing a thesis, which was a little unclear how that all happened. And I also joined the board to help with their international partnerships, which took me to Dubai quite a bit in my final years of college and a few years afterwards. So I actually spent more time off campus than on campus doing a lot of those Model UN activities. So for folks who don't know, can you give a brief explainer of what Model UN is and why you loved it so much that you were going to Dubai to do this? Absolutely. So Model UN stands for Model United Nations. So for people who are familiar with debate or mock trial, it's recreating the United Nations institution, meaning that every country is represented and every country gets one vote. It's the most egalitarian institution that we have in the world. It has its faults, but it really is a way to expose people to difficulties, challenges and solutions for big global problems. I remember the first country I represented was Austria, and I had to learn all about Austrian politics and how do they feel about things and placing yourself in the shoes of a whole country, but really thinking about these issues and how the people who are facing them deal with it really stuck with me. And there are so many ways to build empathy and show kids that the world is so much bigger than their neighborhood around them. And I wanted to keep doing that and exposing it to more people. What other countries did you represent? Do you remember? Oh, goodness. Sweden, Tanzania, New Zealand once. But yeah, I can't remember all my countries, but the Model UN puns are always floating around in my head. Oh, we'll have to hear some of those maybe later. Well, it sounds like you had quite an enriching experience while you were at Princeton doing all of this Model UN work. And then after graduation, I imagine a lot of your classmates went off to do consulting, banking, very similar to Fuqua. But you took a bit of a different path as you started to see the world yourself. What was the first thing that you did after college? So for a little context, I was a politics major, international relations focus, and I was a French minor. And I was really committed to building out my language. I fell in love with learning new languages and cultures. So I was only looking for opportunities in France. Everything from being an au pair to, I don't know, being a starving artist living on the street just trying to learn the language. So I joined a program called TAPIF, which stands for the Teaching Assistant Program in France. So it's run by the Ministry of Education and embassies around the world to bring native speakers into public classrooms. So I was an English teaching assistant in a public high school on the east side of Paris. And you touched on this a little bit, but what made you feel comfortable to make that kind of a move versus going on a more, quote unquote, traditional career path? In many respects, I think it was tied to Model UN of knowing that the world was so much bigger and needing to put myself out of my comfort zone to really try that out. Another part of it, I was really lucky that when we were younger, we got to travel quite a bit. My mom loves the beach, so we explored a bunch of different beaches when we were younger.
--- Segment 2 ---
and being able to explore a place and really get to know it stuck with me. And I knew that if I had gone, maybe even study abroad, it wouldn't give me the same experience of fully immersing myself. Little did I know the bureaucracy that would come with making a bank account and trying to get a job in an apartment, but those are the things that really stick with me. Well, you talked about getting out of your comfort zone. How did you push yourself during that time in France? I was excited because I was entering a new community. There were teaching assistants. Most of us were recent graduates from all over the world, and I really pushed myself out of the box that I had set for myself of being the overachiever and the hard studier. And I just wanted to embrace where I was. So I spent a lot of my evenings sitting along the canal, drinking nice wine and cheese with my friends, but also just exploring all the different free options that were in Paris. So I went to a Polish cooking class with a friend. I went to a movie screening with some nonprofit organization and ended up meeting this lovely elderly French couple who became my adopted grandparents. So shout out to Barbara and Pierre, who I still talk to from that movie screening. Went to art shows and really just toured the city by walking. Growing up in Atlanta, it's a very car-centric place to grow up, and I just would walk across the whole city while living in Paris and really loved that. Well, it sounds like you definitely got bitten by the travel bug because you stayed abroad for a few more years, stayed in Europe specifically. Tell us about some of the other chapters of your Europe life. So I laugh because this next chapter has gotten a unique claim to fame in recent years. So I actually worked with the Center for Effective Altruism in Oxford, UK, and it was a really interesting time. They were building out their global conference. And thanks to all the work I did with Model UN Conferences, I ran their global convening of philanthropists and policymakers, international development implementers, charities, really trying to take that multi-stakeholder approach of how do we do good, but doing it better. After that, I took a three-month hiatus and moved to Florence, Italy to study jewelry making. Jewelry making. Yes, artisanal jewelry making at a historic school in Italy that had been around for at least 200 years. We learned everything from melting down the silver to placing stones. However, all the classes were in Italian, which I did not speak at the time. So it was a mad dash trying to learn as much as I could and could speak more about soldering and different types of metals before I could even introduce myself or talk about my family in Italian. That is so cool. And I'm actually kind of speechless for once. I really have no idea what to ask as a follow-up. Tell us more about the jewelry. So when I was in high school, I've always loved the arts and creativity. And my aunt introduced me to beading and jewelry making. So I spent a lot of my weekends in high school searching Joann's and Michael's for new beads and things that I wanted to try and used to make earrings for myself, for my friends as gifts and knew that there was a much bigger world out there. It was kind of serendipitous how I ended up at this jewelry school. I was at a farmer's market in Oxford one weekend after work and met this jeweler who was there who had this beautiful piece that was made with this antique button. And I was asking her about how she learned these techniques. And she told me about this school, but she had warned me, you know, everything's in Italian. And I was like, oh, okay, that's a language I don't have, but maybe I can figure it out. And this was on a Wednesday, I think there was an adult language class starting that following Monday for Italian classes in the evening. And my book could be delivered like the day before. And I was like, okay, well, it seems like everything's lining up. I might as well do this. This is something I'd wanted to explore a bit longer and took advantage of it. Would you consider yourself a spontaneous person? No, I'm such a planner. I really am. I think I'm spontaneous in the way that I can see an opportunity when it's presented to me and figure out all the steps in which I need to do it. But if I think about my friends and family at the time, I didn't say anything until I was, you know, a month into my Italian classes, I had already reached out to the school, was able to get a discounted rate, did all these other things to work out the finances, and then I would give the final decision of what I was doing next. Well, it sounds like you were really eager and excited to see the world, right? You learned all about it from Model UN in school, but then taught in France. You worked at the Center for Effective Altruism in the UK. You made jewelry in Italy. Do you remember back then, I don't know how old you were, but what you were thinking about in terms of your life, your career, were you just seizing opportunities or was this all part of some master plan? It was definitely all part of the plan. I knew the destination. At that time, I really wanted to be a diplomat. I wanted to go into international affairs. I wanted to get into policy. And before I went into the big monster that is US government, I wanted to kind of take a path less traveled to really understand things outside of the formal pathways. So I didn't know exactly what the steps would be along the way, but my destination was really clear. And at the time, I think I also felt I'm young and people don't expect 22, 23 year olds to have it all figured out. So I could capitalize on that time to really take advantage of exploring my passions of living in France for a year of building up my language skills and making some lifelong friends. So your goal is to be a diplomat, like you said, you were planning out all the steps that you needed to get there. Was that why you ended up pivoting into international development and global health? Yep. So that was actually always the goal. But I would say that international development is a really tricky field. It's very much chicken and egg problem because for any entry level first time job, they want you to have experience doing international development. So how do you get experience for a first time role? So I was able to piecemeal it with the things that I had done before to speak to. I'd lived in these different places, I'd known these languages, which is what led me to interning on the Hill for a bit and then working with a USAID contractor. Was that when you started to go to all the places I mentioned at the beginning, Afghanistan, Jordan, Tanzania, Guinea, Benin, Togo? Absolutely. How did that work? Would you be assigned projects or did you get to choose where you wanted to go? So usually I was a program operations associate and it meant that you were a generalist across a bunch of different projects. So my project in Afghanistan was my biggest. It was a over $40 million initiative following health sector financing. But on top of that, as I mentioned before, languages were really important to me. So I wanted to make sure I had at least one francophone country in my portfolio. So I worked on some projects remotely with DR Congo, and then as opportunities or as needs arose with the project, then I would travel to the place. So for example, there was a project closeout in Tanzania with a program that had been running for 15 years, integrating data with HIV AIDS treatment. And then what took me to Afghanistan was working with some of our subcontractors and a grant program that we were working on to get more women in public sector jobs. And then a project was starting up in Jordan. And honestly, I think it was due to convenience because I was already in the region and they're like, Oh, Kandace, can you just add on another month and go to Jordan? So that's what happened. So I do want to go a little bit into some of these countries. Again, we could be here for three hours, but I want to hear some stories about your time in these places. I'm just going to read off what I saw on LinkedIn. And I want to hear about your time in each of these countries. So for Afghanistan, it says you led staff training for the health sector resiliency project and worked with the USAID mission in Kabul to adapt the grants program to the changing socioeconomic factors. I would say to the spontaneity piece, again, this was planned. I'd known, you know, for a year that there was a possibility. Not the most excited my family was on Christmas that year when I was like, so I'm going to Kabul in January context. This was also January 2017. Trump had just been elected and was coming into office. And I believe I traveled the day after he entered office. And there was already talks about the Muslim ban. There was a lot of animosity towards most of the world. And it was a really hard time to travel as an American. So I think I was dealing with a lot of those macro economic and macro political factors. But also, I was traveling alone. And as a contractor, you don't stay on the mission. So I was staying in a hotel. I was like navigating with how to tracking device and working with the security teams. And I jokingly say I was 24 and young, dumb and eager.
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for experience. But I'm so, so glad I did it. One, I grew up at the time that the war in Afghanistan had been going on. And so everything I had heard was through news articles or journalism on CNN or different types of media. But to really see on the ground what it meant when there are limited green spaces for kids to just be outside or a whole generation who are dealing with the possibilities of bombings or attacks, or just how women are perceived in society. I fell in love with Afghani bread, which I try to get at any opportunity I can, and just built such strong relationships with my colleagues as to what you can never understand when you're thousands of miles away at the other end of an email. I think the first question that a lot of people are going to ask was, did you feel safe? Did you feel scared? What was going through your mind? It was really hard. I think the uncertainty of never knowing exactly what the sounds were outside your building. So for example, like even today, I don't love fireworks. It sounds too similar to some of the attacks that were happening outside. I felt really supported by my team. I never wanted to be a burden by coming in as the American, into this context that they live day in and day out. But I also leaned on the security team, the staff to make sure I felt comfortable. Books and movies and online Zumba classes were my respite during that time. But going back to the culture and connection piece, I got to learn some Dari. The cooks at the office could only speak Dari, so that would be the way that I slowly learned how to communicate, getting to try all these different types of food, getting to know some friends of staff members who worked at the university or elsewhere. There's a huge expat community there who work outside of the big diplomacy or defense or development sectors and kind of getting the behind the curtain view of what was really going on. And I want to circle back to something you just said about not wanting to be a burden on people. How did you grapple with your role in these communities? It's so hard. We talk a lot about in society right now, what does privilege look like? In the American context and American social totem pole, as a queer Black woman, not at the highest level, but in the global scale, I'm an American. I also went to an Ivy League institution. I had the connections and the abilities to navigate these spaces. And it became very clear really early the power that that wields and how do you use it? I wanted to make sure that if I was in a room, I was always pointing the attention to the person who knew best. If I was sitting with ministers of health or with clinicians, the doctor who was just in surgery really knows what the health sector needs and what financing they need. I am just there to facilitate if I can. I met a lot of people along the way who loved that attention and prestige, and that never sat right with me. So that if I am going to be in these spaces, it is my role to uplift and empower and ensure that me as an American is not necessary six months from now, two years from now, 10 years from now. At the end of the day, we're all trying to help solve the problems that they're facing just as much as in Kabul as we are in Durham, North Carolina. You must have been very mature to realize that and be conscious of that at 24 years old. I mean, you also make a lot of mistakes to reveal that too, but I had to grow up really fast being put in those situations, managing teams, managing projects, especially being the only one there from the American team. It forced me to realize one, what are the failures of the development sector, but also where are the opportunities and how can we do this work in a different way? I want to ask about some of those opportunities with some of the other countries. Looking at Jordan, what I see is selected to assist with the new health finance and governance project, setting up the foundation of the office procedures, establishment of new partnerships and manage the logistics of staff interviewing, hiring, and onboarding. Tell us a bit about your time in Jordan. It basically just means I did everything that needed to be done. It's a little hard to summarize on LinkedIn, but you can imagine, you know, a startup or startup initiative or policy, all of the above. And there's a really short timeframe in which everything has to get done from having a team of two people to get up to 15 to 20, to have everything that you need within an office, getting cell phones, getting computers, like all these different logistics, interviewing people while all the while trying to understand the context in which you're working. It was a lot of work. I've loved Jordan just as a country. And every moment I was working kind of 12, 16 hour days. And the moment it hit 5 PM on Friday, I was out in the desert and going to the Dead Sea, going to all these different sites and just fell in love with nature and all these different opportunities to see the beauty of the natural world. I know that this is audio only and not visual, but can you try to describe to listeners the beauty of what you saw? I'll describe Wadi Rum, which more people you've probably seen it and not realized it. The movie, The Martian was filmed there. And it's this desert where the sand is just like bright red and there are hills and mountains. I went sand surfing, which is a thing. I mostly fell the whole time, but like it just so expansive. The sun and the sky just like takes over and reflects off the sand. It's really beautiful. And then if you drive two hours away, you're at the Dead Sea and you can see like across the water to Israel and Palestine. You can see just the reflections of the blue sky and also just like the lushness of certain parts of the country too. So for such a small geographic area, it had like such biodiversity. That's great to hear because I imagine in international development when all you're looking at is all of the problems of a country or a society to be able to see the beauty and the wonder of the place too must have been incredible. Yeah, but it's also I think not something that immediately happens and that you have to go out of your way to do. That there are many ways to do international development where you stay in your office, you only see these issues or you only try to solve it in that one way. And I wanted to do it differently. Well, last country I want to ask you about is Togo. You were there for a longer time. What I see here is facilitated the scale of a replicable, high quality community health model across Togo. Before we jump in for folks who don't know, where is Togo? Where is Togo? It is a small country in West Africa right next to Ghana and Benin. So the work that I was doing there, I would say that a lot of my career prior to business school was chasing the root of the problem. The Afghanistan and Jordan projects were focused on high level health policy at the national level. In between that, I worked at a medical technology startup that worked on anesthesia equipment that could run without constant electricity. So if there are places with electricity fluctuations, they could continue to have surgery safely. And then I realized that there were so many people coming into those hospitals that lacked primary care, preventative care. And so I wanted to work on that. And so I took on a role in Togo with an organization called Integrate Health that was recognizing the vast disparities in terms of health providers, doctors, nurses. And what they did have was this huge resource of women in these villages who knew their community, who knew what was going on, and were already a confidant to their peers and training them as community health workers to be paid, to be trained, to have the resources that they need. And we were working on that years before COVID hit. And we had established this massive network of community health workers who are already trusted to then kind of help with awareness and prevention as it came to COVID and other diseases. I'm sensing a lot of the different threads that we've been talking about tying in together, this idea of community ownership and really letting the people on the ground lead, this idea of humility, this idea of empowerment and knowing where your role starts and where your impact needs to end, essentially. Absolutely. It was absolutely incredible to see these women work. They would be able to diagnose and treat diarrhea and malaria and malnutrition. They would support with prenatal care for mothers. But what I really loved was the gaps that were filled based on having these women at the table. So they realized that men were not as supportive about family planning. And so they built out a community of male allies to talk about how different types of sexual health or family planning or contraceptions were actually a really good thing for the family and how they could work together. They also realized that traditional healers were a big part of community care.
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And so they integrated traditional medicine so that the village leaders would recommend not only the traditional medicine, but also going to the healthcare clinics. They realized that they were missing a ambulance, so they built out like a tricycle ambulance that would transfer people to the clinics or the healthcare center. And those are the things that would never make it to, you know, the top line of a project, but they're really what makes it work. And so after all of this, I don't know if it's easy to sum up in a pithy takeaway, but what do you think the role of international development agencies should be? Sustainability. And I mean that in terms of like long-term sustaining a community. A lot of our work is very capital intensive. It takes a lot of money to build the hospitals, to build out healthcare infrastructure, economic infrastructure, whatever it may be. But historically, we've built these systems also so that Americans or members of the global North can stay and maintain that. And our approach should really be, let's put the capital up front so that these communities have all the tools they need to take it forward. And it was around this time when you decided to found your social enterprise SR Collaborative. Yeah. First question, why the name SR Collaborative? Going back to family and Fast and Furious, obviously. SR stands for Strauss-Raphael Collaborative. Those are my grandmother's maiden names. Being named Kandasi, who was one of the first female monarchs in Sudan, names are really important and have big shoes to fill. As I mentioned, coming from a matriarchy, the role that women have played in my family and especially focusing on their maiden names was really important. And seeing that like the foundation of a community is within the family. And then we think about the community, the neighborhood, the nation and beyond that. So tell us a bit about SR Collaborative, what you do and the mission that you're trying to achieve. SR Collaborative is a social enterprise that's focused on helping women of color change agents and their ventures thrive. I offer coaching, consulting, leadership development for women of color entrepreneurs, both in the for-profit and nonprofit sector. I've worked with foundations, I've worked with government agencies. And what I've realized is that I'm focused on the individuals of how can we make sure that they are able to thrive so that their business, their idea, their venture can really sustain itself. And redefining entrepreneurship. The Bay Area has long dominated how we see entrepreneurship as white male, basic t-shirts and jeans and the hustle and grind to make tons of money. I focus on social enterprises because that's the basis of our economy. That's what really supports the people. Those are the small coffee shops that our family own. Those are the laundry mats. Those are the community health centers. There's so many opportunities to make sure that they're sustainable and can thrive while not trying to grow to unicorn status in a way that really serves the founders and their communities. Well, what gave you the idea to start SR Collaborative and what was it like taking those first steps from idea to an actual business? Well, I would have to say quite frankly, it just started out as, okay, I want to start doing consulting. I guess I need to have an LLC in order to do that. And it really built upon itself from my first customers and my clients who I really see as partners in this journey and what they needed really developed the products and services that I offered. Funny enough, my first client actually came out of fear. Fear, yeah. I had been going to small business sessions that were run in New York City and I thought I couldn't make it. And so I reached out to a woman who I'd met who owned a coffee shop and I was trying to get a job as a barista as kind of like hedging my bets. Like, let me get this barista job while I'm still trying to get my business off the ground. She didn't give me the barista job, but she's like, I actually want you to work on my strategy because it was an Indonesian coffee shop. She worked with small scale female farmers in Indonesia and was already doing all these things, but didn't know how to market it to her customers, how to integrate that social impact model into what she was already doing. Kopi Kopi Coffee was my first client back in 2018 in New York. How many clients have you had since? Oh man, several dozen. And I would say with my leadership development programs, it's probably been over 150. That is incredible. And you've been doing this while you were still working full-time in international development. Yep. And also full-time at school, which was a questionable decision. Wow. Lots of questions, but I guess the first one that comes to mind is, how did you or how do you now achieve balance when you're doing so many things and have so many balls in the air? For me, the destination is clear again. Maybe the steps in the immediate term aren't as clear, but I know that I want to be able to scale as our collaborative to provide that financing that is much needed. I want to transition into an impact investor role to provide small businesses and social enterprises in particular with flexible financing that meets their needs. So the trade-offs in the short term of not being able to take on certain clients or certain projects, but to know that I can better serve them in a few years down the line has made it easier to make those choices. Well, I am going to be a little bit nosy and ask about when you're doing so many things, how do you have time for a social life or for dating? I know that you're married now. You must've had time to meet your partner somewhere, somehow. Yes, I go really deep with my friendships. And so I love long phone calls. I love writing letters. Really deep conversations over endless cups of coffee is really my vibe. But as you mentioned, dating, I met my now wife, Tiffany, back in New York in 2017 at a Spike Lee hosted annual block party in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. Wow. Just serendipity? Oh no, through a mutual friend. So shout out to Jack, who went to high school with me and law school with Tiffany, introduced us that day and we became friends ever since. And years later, relationship blossomed. Well, you gotta tell us a little bit more. What was that first meeting like? Honestly, she was just so cool. She's really amazing. She's so funny. She's so down to earth. She doesn't take herself too seriously. She laughed at my puns, which I think is probably what won me over. But we ended up grabbing Jamaican food afterwards and just chatting for a long time. And this is early adulthood, a few years after college, where we're all struggling to make adult friendships. And I remember being like, okay, I want this woman to be my friend. How do I get her to be my friend? So thankfully she took the lead and invited me to hang out and go rock climbing because she got a group on. And so that was our first friend hangout. And yeah, many brunches and New York festivals and things of that nature. That's beautiful. All right, I will go back to the social enterprise and stop asking about Kandaci's love life. But the business has been around now for six years. What's been most challenging throughout this journey? Doing it alone. I have been a solo entrepreneur this whole time. I work a lot in partnerships. So I've always had others that I've been bringing to the table and convening, but I'm really grateful for Fuqua and the staff and my classmates to provide that support to figure out the next iterations of my business. I think hitting the six year mark has revealed that I'm very much at a moment of transition of wanting different things for my business, different things for my life and how to make that happen. One thing that people don't probably realize about entrepreneurship is how lonely it can be. That the grind is real and that you have to be the one who believes in yourself before anyone else will believe in you to take you on as a partner in their business journey. You mentioned Fuqua earlier, and I wanna transition now to this current chapter, this MBA. What made you decide after France, the UK, the jewelry in Italy, doing development in Afghanistan, Jordan, Tanzania, Benin, Guinea, and Togo and starting your own social enterprise that, you know what? Now it's time for me to do a master of business administration. If you had told me seven years ago, I would be doing an MBA, I would not have believed you. Being so focused on social impact and social good, I did not think that the MBA would be the right place for me. As you've already mentioned those locations, in my mind, I like to make an analogy to kind of a decision-making table. And all these experiences allowed me to sit in a different chair, whether it's a local nonprofit experience, if it's a small for-profit business, a small business owner myself, the one seat I had never sat in was the private sector seat. And so I wanted to understand how can we really get everyone on board, speak the language of finance as they say. And so coming to.
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business school and especially a place like Fuqua that had the Key Center, the Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship that had a history of integrating social good was really the goal in coming here. And as I mentioned before, my transition to an investor role was the goal. So I wanted to understand how can we utilize these financing mechanisms for social good? And it sounds like this was something that was already in your mind from the development days. You talked about needing a lot of capital for hospitals or other infrastructure projects. Absolutely. I realized, and especially working in nonprofits, because of the funding structure that you have to apply for grants or you have to work with all these different partners, unfortunately the work begins to follow the money. It depends on what the donors say that they will support, what type of program that they want. And instead of following what's actually needed or what the community says that they need. And so I wanted to get onto the other side of the table, the investor side, that what happens if we really listen to people when they say, this is what's needed and this is the financing that we need. How has your MBA been? I remember at the beginning when we were talking, you were like, I am not the kind of person to go to shooters every Friday. I am in bed by 10 p.m. Smart. How do you think you've grown over these past two years? I came into business school expecting that there were some entities, whether it's Fortune 500 companies or these growing startups that they hadn't figured out. That the issue was the knowledge just hadn't gotten to the nonprofit or the public sector. Turns out we're all human and we're all just figuring it out. And what the private sector has gotten right is the confidence to try, the confidence to test and fail and keep going. I'm extremely risk averse. You asked me before if I'm super spontaneous. I like the sure bets. I like being able to plan for every possible contingency. The biggest change I've seen in myself and that I came to get is the comfort to be wrong, the comfort to fail and to be okay. I love that. And I think that that's a lesson that I've learned as well and one that hopefully many of our classmates have. Yeah. And I think it's also true that no one can know what you're thinking if you don't say it. You can't make an impact or make a change if you're constantly stewing in your head about saying the perfect thing. Like right now. Exactly. That it's required me to speak up and be on this podcast and reflect back on, oh goodness, did I use a run on sentence or was I not super clear about what I was trying to say? But if there's someone else who's considering this pathway, my hope is that sharing my own can reveal that it can be the right place for you too. With all the places that you've lived, you're going back to Washington, DC after graduation. What does the idea of home mean for you? Thomas, you're asking the hard questions. That's my job. Most of my twenties, I thought that home was a place, which is why I went searching for it far and wide and every possible location I could think of. I think now that home is actually a what or who. Home is the comfort in being yourself in whichever context that you are in. Home is being able to show up in that way. Home is the people that I care about and love who provide that grounding of this is what I stand for. These are the shoulders that I stand on. But home is your roots. Home is what you start off from to go on to bigger things. Well, speaking of bigger things, what matters the most to you and what kind of impact do you want to help shape in this world? What matters most to me is that everyone I interact with knows that they have the capacity and the ability to do whatever it is that is waiting inside of them. I always love an analogy. I like to think of myself as a pilot light for like an old gas stove. I'm hidden, I'm behind the scenes, but I can help glow each of those stove burners. And what really excites me is what comes out of that. Are they able to light other candles? Are they able to create a beautiful meal that feeds their families and their communities? Are they able to reach heights that they didn't think were possible because someone sat and listened and believed in them and respected their journey and their history and uplifted them to go further? Well, thank you for being that light and thank you for shining bright here and everywhere you go, Kandasi. It's been such a pleasure hearing about your wild journey. I am so excited to see what you end up doing, not only professionally, but also just in your life after we all graduate from Fuqua. Thank you so much for coming on the show today. Thank you so much, Thomas.